Jacmel

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Country	Haiti
Jacmel

Department	Sud-Est
Founded	1698
Government
- Mayor	Edo Zenny
Population (2003)
- Metro	40,000
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)

Partner Cities
Strasbourg, France
Palm Beach,Florida
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Jacmel, (Jakmèl in Kréyòl) also known by its indigenous name of Yaquimel, is a city in southern Haiti founded in 1698. It is the capital of the department of Sud-Est. Considered a cultural capital of Haiti, Jacmel is a quiet yet very charming city situated on Horseshoe Bay. Its population is estimated at 40,000. The city has not changed much since the late 19th century when the port city was home to wealthy coffee merchants living in gracious mansions which later influenced the home structure of much of New Orleans; the architecture of the city boasted cast iron pillars and balconies purchased in France. Today, many of these homes are now artisan shops that sell vibrant handicrafts, papier-mâché masks and carved-wood animal figures. In recent years, efforts have been made to revitalize the once flourishing cigar and coffee industries. The city is a popular tourist destination in Haiti due to its relative tranquility and distance from the recent political turmoil in the capital.

1 History of Jacmel
2 Notable residents
3 Media
- 3.1 Radio
4 Gallery
5 External links

[edit] History of Jacmel

The city was created in 1698 as the capital of the south eastern part of the French colony Saint-Domingue. The area now called Jacmel was Taíno territory of the Xaragua chiefdom ruled by cacique Bohechio. With the arrival of the French, and the later establishment of the town, the French renamed Yaquimel as Jacmel.

[edit] The War of Knives

Toussaint Louverture fought over Jacmel in the so-called War of Knives between him and André Rigaud. This war began in June of 1799. By November the rebels were pushed back to this strategic southern port, the defence of which was commanded by Pétion. Jacmel fell to Toussaint's troops in March of 1800 and the rebellion was effectively over. Pétion and other mulatto leaders went into exile in France.

[edit] Francisco de Miranda creates the Venezuelan flag

A predecessor of Simón Bolívar in the liberation struggle from colonialism in Spanish ruled South America, Francisco de Miranda, created the first Venezuelan flag near Jacmel. Anchored in the Bay of Jacmel (Baie de Jacmel), he first raised the flag on March 12, 1806 on the Corvette Leander. This day is still celebrated as Venezuelan Flag Day.

[edit] Ramón Emeterio Betances seeks an Antillean union

Puerto Rican pro-independence leader Ramón Emeterio Betances spent a short interval in Jacmel in 1870, from where he channeled support for an uprising in the Dominican Republic, seeking to install a liberal government there. Then-president of Haiti Nissage Saget supported Betances' ideals of a pan-Antillean union, and gave the uprising his support.

[edit] Jacmel today

Taximotos (taxi motorcycles) on a busy Jacmel street.

The port town is internationally known for its vibrant art scene and elegant townhouses dating to the 1800s. In recent years Jacmel has been host to a large film festival, the 'Festival Film Jakmèl' started in 2004 and in 2007 the international music festival 'Festival Mizik Jakmèl' was successfully launched. Its carnival, the nearby Bassins Bleu (Haiti's famed blue water pools), and the scenic white sand beaches attract many visitors. There is even an old beached ship right outside the quaint Jacmelian Hotel. The hotel is nearby Horseshoe Bay and hosts many people, ranging from youth playing soccer, to older men smoking cigars and listening to music. Jacmel is a great place to see local activity. The port city is regarded as one of the safest cities in the country and so many incoming foreigners that enter the country in hope of a tranquil time, often head for Jacmel. Jacmel's urbanization has been increasing in large part due to economic finance generated through tourism. Royal Caribbean, the leasing tourism company whose cruise ships regularly dock at Labadée, plans to add stoppovers to Jacmel.

In February 2007, Edo Zenny became the city's newly elected mayor.

[edit] Notable residents

René Depestre, a famous Haitian poet and essayist who fled from the Duvalier dictatorship. He was born in Jacmel. The city is the setting of many of his fictions.
Michaëlle Jean, later Governor General of Canada, was born in Port-au-Prince to a Jacmel family.
Magloire Ambroise
Jørgen Leth, famous Danish documentarist, writer and Danish honorary of Haiti.

[edit] Media

[edit] Radio

Radio Ambiance FM

Ambiance TV

Radio Anacaona

Radio Hispaniola Fm

Radio Télé-Diffusion Jacmelienne

Radio Télé-Express Continental

Radio Vibration Inter

Radio Jacmel Inter

Radio Détente

Radio Négritude

[edit] Gallery

Mardi Gras Papier-mâché masks.	Aerial of typical architectural scene.	Vodou ceremony in Jacmel.	A beautiful beach at Jacmel.
Jacmel as seen from the pier in the bay.